The first tests of this season took place at the Spanish circuit near Barcelona. Teams were allowed to choose a maximum of three days out of a predefined five-day window. The only team unable to take part was Williams, as their car did not pass the FIA crash tests. Aston Martin joined the test late, as they only took to the track on Thursday.
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| Photo: Mercedes AMG |
All testing was conducted “behind closed doors” — no journalists were allowed anywhere near the circuit, and anyone attempting to approach was immediately turned away by police. All vantage points from which something could potentially be seen were also guarded to keep prying eyes away. Despite this, members of the Spanish website SoyMotor.com managed to get close to the circuit and provided updates on the on-track action throughout the test.
At this stage, it is still impossible to clearly determine who is the outright fastest, but opinions are beginning to form that Mercedes could be the dark horse of the season. In terms of data collected, they are clearly in the strongest position and completed the entire test without major technical issues. Both George Russell and Andrew Shovlin (Head of Trackside Engineering) praised the team’s performance during testing. Mercedes completed a total of 500 laps over the three days — the highest of any team.
For Red Bull, the test was not entirely smooth, mainly due to Hadjar’s crash, which cost the team valuable track time. Compared to Mercedes, Red Bull completed only around 300 laps — roughly 200 fewer.
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| number of laps completed during shakedown by each team |
It was not an ideal test for Aston Martin either. The British team encountered several issues and only joined the test on Thursday and Friday, with Lance Stroll taking the wheel. Unfortunately, after just five laps he was forced to stop the car due to technical problems. Fernando Alonso added more mileage on Friday, but overall the team completed just 66 laps — the fewest of all teams.
Ferrari logged solid mileage, and the drivers were generally positive about the car. Lewis Hamilton even commented that this generation of cars feels more enjoyable to drive than the previous one:
“The car generation is actually a little bit more fun to drive, it's oversteery and snappy and sliding, but it's a little bit easier to catch. I would definitely say more enjoyable.”
Ferrari completed the second-highest number of laps after Mercedes, with a total of 436.
Reigning champions McLaren struggled with technical issues during the test, which was reflected in their total mileage of 287 laps.
Williams were in the worst position of all, as they were unable to participate in testing entirely due to failing the FIA crash tests. This represents a significant setback for the team, as with the new regulations every kilometer completed on track provides crucial data needed to understand the completely new cars and power units.
The fastest lap of the test was set by Lewis Hamilton with a time of 1:16.348, although it should be noted that lap times are largely irrelevant and cannot be used to draw clear conclusions about overall performance.
Further tests will take place on February 11–13 and February 18–20 in Bahrain. The final hour of each testing day is expected to be broadcast live on F1TV.